Beginnings 

(. ADAPTED  FROM  “ TWENTY  YEARS'  HISTORY”) 


HT  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  four 
millions  of  freemen  were 
thrown  upon  their  own  re- 
sources, and  citizenship,  for  which 
they  were  entirely  unprepared,  was 
thrust  upon  them.  A “Freedman’s 
Bureau”  was  established  by  the  United 
States  Government,  and  during  the 
first  ten  years  after  the  close  of  the 
war  it  spent  three  million  dollars  in 
providing  schools  and  teachers. 

After  a time,  denominational  “Freed- 
men’s  Aid  Societies”  were  organized, 
replacing  other  forms  of  service  in  this 
field,  and  the  whole  responsibility  fell 
upon  the  churches. 

The  Freedmen’s  Aid  Society  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  or- 


ganized  in  1866.  At  the  end  of  its 
fourth  year,  ten  thousand  pupils  were 
enrolled  in  its  schools.  Among  its 
teachers  were  accomplished  young 
women  from  the  North,  of  whom  a dis- 
tinguished minister  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South,  said,  “Of  all 
who  go  out  under  the  Master’s  com- 
mission, no  one  takes  up  a heavier 
cross  than  the  woman  who,  leaving  a 
Northern  home,  goes  into  the  South- 
land, there  to  sit  down  by  her  de- 
graded colored  sister,  to  point  her  to 
Jesus.” 

After  a time  it  became  apparent  that 
not  only  were  schools  of  a higher 
grade  needed,  but  a system  must  be 
introduced  which  should  aim  more  di- 
rectly at  the  redemption  of  the  home. 
While  the  women  of  the  church  in  the 
North  were  being  prepared  for  this  in 
various  ways,  faithful  ones  in  the 
South  were  unconsciously  paving  the 
way  by  doing  the  work  without  or- 
ganization. Of  these,  Mrs.  Jennie  C. 
Hartzell  (wife  of  the  present  Bishop 
for  Africa)  was  the  pioneer.  Mrs. 
Hartzell  became  deeply  interested  in 
the  colored  people  while  her  husband 
was  pastor  in  New  Orleans.  In  close 


association  with  her  were  Mrs.  R.  S. 
Rust,  and  others.  Each  year  the  calls 
became  more  imperative,  and  at  last 
the  Woman’s  Home  Missionary  Soci- 
ety of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
was  organized,  in  Trinity  Church,  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  July  6,  1880. 

Upon  Mrs.  Rust,  as  Corresponding 
Secretary  of  the  new  society,  developed 
the  duty  of  creating  interest,  fostering 
sentiment  and  promoting  organization. 
When,  eighteen  years  later,  she  came 
to  the  end  of  her  earthly  life,  the  So- 
ciety could  give  voice  to  no  truer  senti- 
ment than  this,  “Always  in  the  lead, 
always  a step  ahead  of  the  rank  and 
file.” 

At  the  time  of  the  first  annual  meet- 
ing, in  October,  1882,  the  Society  had 
been  formally  approved  by  forty-three 
Annual  Conferences.  Its  first  local 
auxiliary  was  organized  in  St.  Paul’s 
Church,  Delaware,  Ohio,  July  27,  1880, 
and  its  first  Conference  organization 
was  effected  in  the  Erie  Conference, 
September  25  of  the  same  year. 

Its  first  mission  work  (in  New  Or- 
leans, La. , Orangeburg,  S.  C.,  and  At- 
lanta, Ga.)  developed,  a little  later, 
into  Peck,  Simpson  and  Thayer 


Homes.  The  disbursements  of  its  first 
year  were  $4400,  and  a debt  of  $910 
had  been  incurred.  The  deficit  was 
met,  with  a large  increase  in  receipts, 
the  second  year.  By  the  end  of  its 
fourth  year  the  Society  was  recognized 
by  the  General  Conference  as  a part 
of  the  machinery  of  the  church.  Its 
growth  was  steady  and  strong,  and 
included  the  formation  of  “Bureaus,” 
the  publication  of  a paper,  the  develop- 
ment of  a Supply  Department,  the 
appointment  of  a General  Organizer, 
the  movement  for  a training-school 
and  the  organization  of  Mothers’ 
Jewels. 

This  story  of  “Beginnings”  must,  as 
a matter  of  course,  be  incomplete. 
Only  eternity  can  tell  results.  But 
enough  has  been  shown,  even  here,  to 
make  the  women  of  Methodism  thank 
God  with  full  hearts  for  the  privilege 
of  being  co-workers  with  Him. 


^oman’g  Dome  SPissionaqa  ©ocictp 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
150  FIFTH  AVENUE  NEW  YORK  CITY 


6 cents  per  hundred,  postpaid 


